Cooler Master Storm Enforcer Review

Introduction:

It almost seems that since the dawn of high-end custom gaming machines, Cooler Master has been there to support the never-ending market of keeping our systems cool. Recently seen in the news, pictures have been speckled about the Internet regarding the Cooler Master Storm Enforcer. Back in 2009, we reviewed an original Storm Scout from Cooler Master. It performed well for its price and offered a sleek, stealthy look along with a comprehensive list of features. This Storm series could easily follow in the footsteps of the prolific HAF line of cases, which offers great performance, quiet operation, and loads of room to house the latest components — including the giant video cards of today's market.

Personally, I hadn't seen much or heard much about the Storm Enforcer, but I do know what to expect in regards to the Storm/Scout line of computer cases. This automatically assumes a sleek, mid tower case with probably a door on the front panel, tool less features, and easy wire management. After reviewing quite a few Cooler Master cases, I have been, for lack of a better expression, "turned on" to Cooler Master's ongoing improvement of their designs and continually improve its high-end cases. It seems with every Cooler Master case that I evaluate, I like each successive one more. In this review, I will provide a complete evaluation of the Cooler Master Storm Enforcer, from un-boxing, sharing my thoughts about the exterior and interior, to an intense testing session to evaluate the overall performance of the case.

Closer Look:

As we can expect from a manufacturer of "gaming" cases, the graphics and finish on the packaging is of high quality, which is a common trait with Cooler Master. The front of the box features a low-angle, quarter-view of the case with the front red LED fan powered on, sitting in front of of some armored, 'cyborg' type creature wearing the same "storm" logo on its chest that appears in the upper-left side of the package and on the case itself. The right side of the case features a similar picture of the case, but more of the right side and looks from above. The most content appears on the rear of the box, as usual. It explains useful features that the case offers as well as other specifications and offerings from the Cooler Master team. Finally, the left side of the box lists a complete table of specifications from the case's dimensions, weight, form factor, etc. It also has an option selection table, where a green dot will identify the power supply that arrives with the case. These options range from 400W to 850W.

Breaking open the tape that seals the top flaps will reveal the case sandwiched between two pieces of rigid Styrofoam, wrapped in a plastic bag, with the user's manual on top. The user's manual contains more information about the features and specifications that the Storm Enforcer offers. Through the plastic bag, the front of the case is slightly visible. You can make out the front fan grille and vents as well as the stealth front drive bay door.

The case itself is a small mid tower with a side panel window that takes up about half of the side panel itself. There are only two fans provided from the factory, and that is one 200mm front intake and one 120mm rear exhaust. There is room for two 120mm fans up top or a single 200mm up top. Included in a cardboard box within the case is six pairs of hard drive rails, a 5.25" to 3.5" device adapter kit, a 2.5"/1.8" to 3.5" hard drive adapter, various screws, twist ties, and Cooler Master's "Storm Guard", which I will explain later.

With everything out of the box, it's now time to take a closer look at the exterior of the case and its features.